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Brian Flores

Bears Looking Into Brian Flores For HC; Candidates Curious About Kevin Warren’s Role

December 30th, 2024 at 10:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

Brian Flores is prepared to once again pursue a head coaching job while simultaneously suing the NFL and several teams regarding his previous HC stay and some of his interviews. The Vikings’ defensive success may allow him to land a second-chance role before his discrimination lawsuit wraps, as interesting as that would be.

While the Bears may well have another NFC North candidate higher on their preference list, Flores joins Lions OC Ben Johnson among candidates Chicago is studying. The Bears are indeed looking into Flores, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, with connections involving both GM Ryan Poles and team president Kevin Warren noteworthy here.

[RELATED: Ben Johnson “Intrigued” By Bears’ HC Post?]

Poles and Flores played together at Boston College in 2003; the latter joined the Patriots as a scout a year later while the former’s college career continued. Poles went into the front office ranks after his college run. The two have never worked together, but that overlap would make for an interesting reference — especially considering Johnson has been quite choosey while on HC carousels. Warren has also vetted Flores with former Vikings contacts, as the current Bears president was on Minnesota’s staff for 15 years previously. Thus far, per Breer, that vetting effort has generated “strong reviews” for the bounce-back coordinator.

Flores, 43, has said he wants to be a head coach again. Minnesota’s success on defense this season may yield such an opportunity, but his background also may work against him. Although the Bears have been connected to seeking a “leader of men”-type HC, Breer now adds candidates who do not have a background coaching quarterbacks would need a clear and sustainable plan for Caleb Williams‘ development. This could work against Flores, who will undoubtedly need to explain what happened during Tua Tagovailoa‘s first two Dolphins seasons. The current Miami starter was not complimentary of Flores’ hard-edged coaching style when asked earlier this year. Tagovailoa also took major steps forward after Flores’ ouster.

Leading the Vikings to a fourth-place ranking in scoring defense during their 14-2 season, Flores is likely to book multiple interviews on the 2025 HC carousel. He met with the Cardinals in 2023 and with the Bears, Giants, Saints and Texans in 2022. Flores did not meet about a head coaching gig this year, but Minnesota’s success figures to change that. He has come up as a candidate far more frequently than OC Wes Phillips, and the connection to Poles — who is running Chicago’s HC search — may be important.

For anyone considering the Bears, however, it appears Warren’s presence is a sticking point. Top HC candidates are curious about Warren’s role with the team, Breer adds. It was initially reported the president — hired in January 2023 after a role as Big Ten commissioner — would run the business side, but it has become clear this gig has brought football-ops responsibilities. Warren has offered key input regarding football matters, including a recent comment indicating the Bears job would be the most coveted of 2025’s openings.

Poles reports to Warren, and the team president is expected to be heavily involved in this HC search — even if the GM is running it. This power structure, which canned Matt Eberflus (the team’s first in-season HC firing) while letting him speak to the media following a disastrous Thanksgiving loss, will be something HC candidates take into consideration. Warren took players’ input for an extensive period following the loss in Detroit and has held an “active role” on the football side since coming to Chicago.

Thomas Brown seeing his interim tag removed would be borderline shocking based on how the post-Eberflus period has gone, but Breer notes Bears brass does have sympathy for the challenge this situation has brought. With Williams’ development the central issue for Chicago, it would stand to reason the team will start over on offense. Johnson should be expected to meet with the Bears, Breer adds, but it does not seem the third-year Lions play caller is a lock to take that job if offered. He will be selective once again, keeping the door wide open for other Bears HC candidates.

Bears To Prioritize Leadership Ability In Next HC; GM Ryan Poles Expected To Be Retained

December 1st, 2024 at 10:08pm CST by Rory Parks

The Bears will be in the market for a new head coach this offseason, and per Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, the club believes its vacancy is the most attractive one that will be available. With a promising rookie-contract quarterback in Caleb Williams and a bevy of other offensive talent, over $80MM in projected salary cap space, and a new stadium project in the offing, Chicago is hopeful it will be able to land the candidate of its choice.

According to Jones, the Bears hope to hire a “leader of men” type of head coach. In other words, the candidate’s status as an offensive or defensive savant will not be as much of a priority as that person’s mental toughness and leadership abilities. The successes of Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh and Dan Campbell in Detroit have underscored the importance of those qualities, and recent HC hirees Raheem Morris, Dan Quinn, Jerod Mayo, and Jim Harbaugh also fit the “leader of men” mold (although those coaches, like almost all coaches, also offer an offensive or defensive background).

Scott Bair of the Marquee Sports Network agrees that leadership skills, along with in-game management prowess, are traits the Bears will be seeking in their next HC. However, Bair does believe that a brilliant offensive mind, or someone that can bring such a mind on board, will also be a prerequisite, which jibes with earlier reports on the matter. He names Mike Vrabel, Ben Johnson, Kliff Kingsbury, Aaron Glenn, and Joe Brady as external HC candidates, while Jones adds Brian Flores and Bill Belichick as possible targets. As reported previously, interim head coach Thomas Brown will also have a chance at the permanent gig.

Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (video link) acknowledges that the Bears’ opening will be coveted, and he also believes that Kingsbury will be under consideration. Of course, the team interviewed the former Cardinals’ HC this past offseason for its offensive coordinator post, although it was reported that the summit was really more of an intel-gathering session on Williams, whom Kingsbury coached at USC and whom the Bears were preparing to select with the No. 1 overall pick of this year’s draft. Naturally, the Kingsbury-Williams connection will drive a great deal of Kingsbury-Chicago speculation during the upcoming cycle.

Johnson, meanwhile, will again be one of the hottest candidates on the market, and he is expected to remain very selective about his next destination. On that note, ESPN’s Adam Schefter previously said that Johnson could opt to steer clear of the Bears due to perceived organizational dysfunction, although Schefter may have changed his stance. During his appearance on Sunday NFL Countdown today, Schefter said that Johnson might indeed have some interest in the Chicago job (video link).

Jones and Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (video link) also see Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman as a dark horse candidate for the Bears’ HC post. Freeman, who was actually drafted by the Bears in the fifth round of the 2009 draft, has led the Fighting Irish to an 11-1 record and a likely spot in the College Football Playoff field in his first year at the helm. Freeman was recently named as one of the college coaches expected to receive NFL HC interest in 2025.

Per Jones, it is unclear who will make the final decision on the club’s next HC. Of course, owner George McCaskey will have considerable input, but team president Kevin Warren will be heavily involved as well. One way or another, though, GM Ryan Poles’ job is safe, and he will be a part of the search. 

There were some recent rumblings that Poles could be handed his walking papers at season’s end, but prior reports indicated that Poles and Warren are aligned in their vision for the team, and both Jones and Rapoport report that the GM – who was originally hired just two days before the recently-dismissed Matt Eberflus – will be retained. Interestingly, Rapoport says that Poles will “assist” Warren in running the search, which would seem to corroborate the league-wide perception that Warren is the one making the calls.

Vikings DC Brian Flores ‘Would Love’ To Return To Head Coaching

November 13th, 2024 at 10:10pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Brian Flores is happy with his current job as the Vikings’ defensive coordinator, but he envisions sees a return to a head coaching gig in his future.

“Look, there’s only 32 of these jobs, so I would certainly want to be a head coach in this league again,” said Flores on the Adam Schefter Podcast, per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert.

Flores was hired as the Dolphins’ head coach in 2019 and led them to a 25-24 record and zero playoff appearances before his firing after the 2021 season. Flores then spent the 2022 season as a senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach in Pittsburgh before taking the Vikings’ DC position in 2023.

The longtime Patriots assistant installed an innovative defensive system upon his arrival in Minnesota, dialing up blitzes at the highest rate in the NFL in 2023, per NextGen Stats. Flores mixed heavy blitzing with simulated pressures that saw potential pass-rushers drop off the line of scrimmage into coverage, forcing opposing quarterbacks to hold onto the ball longer. Though the Vikings were not a top-10 defense in Flores’ first year as DC, he has taken them to a new level in 2024, allowing just 17.4 points per game while forcing a league-high 20 turnovers.

Flores’ success in Minnesota could earn him consideration for a head coaching gig this offseason. Three recent vacancies have been filled by defensive-minded coaches: Jonathan Gannon in Arizona, DeMeco Ryans in Houston, and Mike Macdonald in Seattle.

Flores’ path to a head coaching gig is complicated by his ongoing legal dispute with the NFL as well as four individual teams. He filed a lawsuit against the league and the Dolphins, Broncos, Giants, and Texans in 2022 alleging racial discrimination in their hiring processes. While his case against the Dolphins – which included claims that owner Stephen Ross offered Flores extra money to tank for better draft picks – was moved to arbitration in 2023, his suit against the NFL and the three other teams will proceed in open court.

Two teams have already fired their head coaches this season: the Jets and the Saints. Flores’ experience with Ross in Miami may keep him away from another involved owner in the Jets’ Woody Johnson, especially considering the drama surrounding Aaron Rodgers‘ tenure in New York. Flores’ defensive prowess may be a better fit in New Orleans, where he could pair with up-and-coming offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, though the Saints would then risk losing Kubiak to another head coaching gig in the future.

Bill Belichick-Patriots Separation Likely To Take Weeks To Finalize

January 5th, 2024 at 10:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

The expectation around the NFL still points to the Patriots having a non-Bill Belichick HC for the first time since 1999, but Robert Kraft has kept his cards close to the vest. A process that likely will involve trade talks is not expected to be finalized especially soon.

Kraft has kept Belichick in the dark about his future, according to the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin, who indicates the two are scheduled to meet Monday. While owner-HC meetings the day after the regular season ends drove the term “Black Monday” into existence in the NFL, Volin adds the expectation will be for Kraft and Belichick to meet multiple times over the ensuing several weeks before finality arrives.

Belichick has sufficient credentials to avoid a Black Monday ouster, and the Patriots have long been expected to be aiming at avoiding an outright firing. It may come to that, as it is possible Belichick will not want to accept any additional power stripped — like a GM coming in to work alongside him — and would seek to be fired in order to be part of the coaching carousel on time. A drawn-out divorce would affect Belichick’s ability to land with another team. HC-needy teams can begin interviewing candidates on other staffs after the divisional round.

Kraft’s silence could point to demands from Belichick, Volin offers, in an attempt to salvage the situation. Kraft has famously intervened on multiple occasions in recent years, most notably in the Jimmy Garoppolo trade, and the longtime owner solidified Jerod Mayo‘s place on Belichick’s staff with an extension this past offseason. Belichick giving into more demands from Kraft would not be ideal for the 24-year Patriots HC, but if there is not a strong market for his services, that would seemingly be an option the future Hall of Famer considers.

As of late December, Belichick wanted to stay in New England and was not planning to resign. Doing so would be a costly move with another season of top-tier coaching money on the table in the event he stays on for a 25th season or is fired. The longer he remains in limbo with the Patriots, the longer other teams move on to other HC candidates.

Mayo resides the front of the line to replace Belichick, per SI.com’s Albert Breer, who notes the extension he signed this offseason — after a conversation with Kraft led to the linebackers coach turning down a chance to interview for the Panthers’ HC job — parallels Belichick’s in running through 2024. A former Patriots linebacker who has been on Belichick’s staff for five seasons, Mayo would become the NFL’s second-youngest active HC if hired; at 37, Mayo is two months younger than Sean McVay.

Kraft’s intervention with Mayo does point to the longtime Boston-area resident being a serious candidate, and going in that direction would be rather interesting. It would ensure continuity but also keep the Belichick pipeline flowing, just without Belichick. On that note, Volin adds a Brian Flores return has also generated some buzz. Flores made his mark as a Belichick assistant for over a decade, finishing that 11-year run as the de facto defensive coordinator for a Patriots team that held the Rams without a touchdown in Super Bowl LIII. Flores, 42, is finishing up his first season as the Vikings’ DC.

With Flores and Mike Vrabel being on the radar — Volin still lists the Titans’ HC as the Pats “home run” hire, though it would take a notable trade package to pry him from the Titans — signs point to Kraft preferring someone familiar with the Patriot Way rather than a true outsider. An overhaul would make sense given the shadow Belichick casts, but a transition to a current or former assistant would be smoother. As for Vrabel, he reaffirmed his commitment to the Titans. But the Patriots are believed to be monitoring that situation, which has involved rumors of discord between Vrabel and rookie GM Ran Carthon.

Flores returning to Foxborough would also be interesting due to his discrimination lawsuit including a text from Belichick believing Flores would be the Giants’ HC hire in 2022. Belichick later said he misunderstood the situation, as another of his former assistants — Brian Daboll — became New York’s hire. Flores also backed out of the Cardinals’ interview process last year. The lawsuit has not impeded the former Dolphins HC’s career, and it would not surprise to see multiple teams reach out about their HC vacancy this coming offseason.

A Mayo promotion or Flores return would assuredly also come with Kraft hiring either a true GM or someone with similar responsibilities. It also is worth wondering if another organization would give Belichick GM power. While the Panthers and perhaps another NFC South team have interest in the NFL sideline staple, his recent run as the Pats’ de facto GM is largely responsible for their swoon. GM power — be it with the Pats or another team, possibly the Chargers — will be part of this equation, but the drama here looks likely to last for a bit.

AFC North Notes: Bengals, Steelers, Chubb

November 16th, 2023 at 4:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bengals and Steelers were not among the teams who made deals at the trade deadline, but each contender looked into buyer’s moves on defense. Specifically, the AFC North rivals were among the teams to pursue cornerback help, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes. Both the 49ers and Bills discussed Jaylon Johnson with the Bears, and Buffalo ended up parting with a third-round pick (in a pick-swap move) to obtain Green Bay’s Rasul Douglas. That marked the only move for a corner at the deadline, though the Chargers did send J.C. Jackson to the Patriots in early October.

Chidobe Awuzie‘s return from ACL surgery has not resulted in the veteran regaining his form, and the Bengals have used younger corners Cam Taylor-Britt and DJ Turner as their starters alongside slot Mike Hilton in recent weeks. Pro Football Focus does not grade any of Cincy’s corners in the top 60 at the position. The Bengals rank 25th against the pass. More reliant on their defense without a Joe Burrow-like pilot on offense, the Steelers sit 27th. Joey Porter Jr. has replaced Levi Wallace opposite Patrick Peterson, who is in his age-33 season. With Wallace, Peterson and Chandon Sullivan short-term fixes, Porter represents Pittsburgh’s only long-term cog here post-Cameron Sutton.

Here is the latest from the AFC North:

  • Joe Burrow has improved since the summer calf injury significantly restricted him early this season, but ahead of a pivotal Thursday-night matchup against the Ravens, the superstar Bengals QB was spotted wearing a brace or sleeve on his throwing hand. The Bengals shared video of their arrival in Baltimore but later deleted the tweet, though WCPO’s Caleb Noe spotted the fourth-year passer with the brace. This may not be especially important, as Burrow has not missed an NFL game due to injury since his rookie-year ACL tear. Seeing as the Bengals did not disclose a Burrow hand injury and deleted a video that may indicate one, this is worth monitoring.
  • The Steelers are 6-3 despite being outgained in all nine games this season. Kenny Pickett ranks 28th in QBR, and while he has been without Diontae Johnson and Pat Freiermuth for extended stretches, the 2022 first-round pick has not shown tremendous progress in Year 2. The subject of Matt Canada‘s job security continues to come up, after Mike Tomlin gave him a third year following Pickett progress late last season. With the offense still a chief concern in Pittsburgh, The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly does not expect Canada to be retained for a fourth year. That said, the veteran reporter indicates (subscription required) a dramatic Pickett improvement would be Canada’s vehicle to staying. If Canada is let go, he will be the second three-and-done Steelers OC. The team initially promoted Canada from within to replace Randy Fichtner in 2021.
  • On the subject of Steelers assistants, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac notes the team did not offer Brian Flores a promotion opportunity to convince him to stay. The Steelers did not dangle their DC job to keep Flores, whom Tomlin hired as linebackers coach following a surprising Dolphins dismissal. Viewed as a way for Flores to reestablish his value amid an ongoing discrimination lawsuit against the NFL and select teams, the Steelers stint proved effective. Despite the ongoing suit, Flores interviewed for the Cardinals’ HC job and received steady DC interest ahead of his Vikings hire. Teryl Austin is in his second season as Pittsburgh’s DC but has been with the team since 2019.
  • Head Browns physician James Voos performed Nick Chubb‘s second ACL surgery, the Browns announced this week. The team revealed the operation was successful, and the procedure will put Chubb on track to return in 2024. While two knee surgeries at this juncture of his career will introduce some hurdles for Chubb, a 2024 return was previously floated out as realistic. Chubb’s three-year, $36.6MM contract runs through 2024.

Latest On Brian Flores Lawsuit

March 26th, 2023 at 2:57pm CST by Adam La Rose

March has been dominated by the flurry of free agent moves taking place around the league, but it has also seen an important development in the ongoing lawsuit led by Brian Flores. The ex-Dolphins head coach saw mixed results in a ruling on the matter of arbitration being used to settle his claims against the league and a number of its teams.

A federal judge in Manhattan ruled that Flores can pursue his racial discrimination suit against the NFL and the Broncos, Giants and Texans in open court, as detailed by Larry Neumeister of the Associated Press. The NFL had attempted to keep the matter an internal one, and handle Flores’ claims through arbitration.

That will be the route taken to determine his case against the Dolphins, however. The same is also true of co-plaintiffs Steve Wilks and Ray Horton, who joined the suit last April. The latter two added complaints against the Cardinals and Titans, respectively, for decisions affecting them in the past. Wilks argued in the suit that Arizona hired him in 2018 as a “bridge coach” with no long-term prospects of retaining the position. Horton has alleged that Tennessee conducted a “sham” head coaching interview with him in 2016.

Per the judge’s ruling, Wilks’ and Horton’s claims (as well as Flores’ outstanding ones against the Dolphins) will be handled through arbitration owing to their respective contractual statuses at the time the alleged malpractices took place. In a statement, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said the league will “move promptly with arbitrations… and seek to dismiss the remaining claims.”

He added, however, that the NFL “recognize[s] there is more work to be done” on the matter of diversity and inclusion. The judge’s decision was based in part on her concern about the hiring practices in the league, and added that this case has shined “an unflattering spotlight” on the NFL in this regard. Flores, who drew head coaching interest from the Cardinals before being hired as defensive coordinator of the Vikings, is now clear to test most of his claims in front of a jury.

No decision has been announced regarding whether or not NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will personally oversee the arbitration cases. It is expected he will do so, although the judge also noted she will have the authority to review his findings if he does not delegate to another member of the league. With a path now cleared to have elements of this case heard in open court, it will remain a storyline to watch in the near future.

2023 Offensive/Defensive Coordinator Search Tracker

February 28th, 2023 at 2:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

As the head coaching carousel spun for several weeks, many teams made coordinator changes as well. Teams seeking new head coaches are conducting OC and DC searches, and a handful of other teams that did not make HC changes are also searching for top assistants.

This is a big year for offensive coordinator hires, with nearly half the league making changes. Here are the teams searching for new OCs and DCs. As new searches emerge, they will be added to the list.

Updated 3-1-23 (3:31pm CT)

Offensive Coordinators

Arizona Cardinals 

Baltimore Ravens (Out: Greg Roman)

Carolina Panthers (Out: Ben McAdoo)

  • Thomas Brown, tight ends coach, (Rams): Hired
  • Jim Bob Cooter, passing-game coordinator (Jaguars): Interviewed

Dallas Cowboys (Out: Kellen Moore)

  • Brian Angelichio, tight ends coach (Vikings): Interviewed 2/2
  • Thomas Brown, tight ends coach (Rams): Interviewed
  • Jeff Nixon, running backs coach (Panthers): Interviewed
  • Brian Schottenheimer, offensive consultant (Cowboys): Hired

Denver Broncos (Out: Justin Outten)

Houston Texans (Out: Pep Hamilton)

Indianapolis Colts (Out: Parks Frazier)

  • Jim Bob Cooter, passing-game coordinator (Jaguars): Hired
  • Tee Martin, wide receivers coach (Ravens): Interview requested

Kansas City Chiefs (Out: Eric Bieniemy)

  • Matt Nagy, quarterbacks coach (Chiefs): Hired

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Joe Lombardi)

Los Angeles Rams (Out: Liam Coen)

New York Jets (Out: Mike LaFleur)

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Shane Steichen)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Out: Byron Leftwich)

Tennessee Titans (Out: Todd Downing)

Washington Commanders (Out: Scott Turner)

Defensive Coordinators

Arizona Cardinals (Out: Vance Joseph)

Atlanta Falcons (Out: Dean Pees)

Buffalo Bills (Out: Leslie Frazier)

Carolina Panthers (Out: Al Holcomb)

  • Ejiro Evero, former defensive coordinator (Broncos): Hired
  • Vic Fangio, former head coach (Broncos): Interviewed
  • Marquand Manuel, safeties coach (Jets): Interviewed
  • Kris Richard, co-defensive coordinator (Saints): Interviewed

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans 

Los Angeles Chargers (Out: Renaldo Hill)

  • Derrick Ansley, defensive backs coach (Chargers): Promoted
  • Doug Belk, defensive coordinator (Houston): Interviewed
  • DeMarcus Covington, defensive line coach (Patriots): Interviewed

Miami Dolphins (Out: Josh Boyer)

Minnesota Vikings (Out: Ed Donatell)

New Orleans Saints (Out: Ryan Nielsen, Kris Richard)

  • Joe Woods, former defensive coordinator (Browns): Hired

Philadelphia Eagles (Out: Jonathan Gannon)

San Francisco 49ers (Out: DeMeco Ryans)

  • Vic Fangio, former head coach (Broncos): On radar
  • Chris Harris, defensive backs coach (Commanders): Interviewed 1/31
  • Kris Kocurek, defensive line coach (49ers): On radar
  • Steve Wilks, former interim head coach (Panthers): Hired

NFC North Notes: Fields, Pack, Vikes, Lions

February 27th, 2023 at 7:48pm CST by Sam Robinson

Going into the Combine, the Bears are leaning toward keeping Justin Fields in place at quarterback. They are viewed as likely to trade out of the No. 1 overall draft slot, and Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reinforces that the rebuilding team is leaning against exiting the first round with a quarterback. Fields finished a historically successful season as a running quarterback, but significant questions remain about his potential as a passer. The Bears will still meet with just about every top quarterback at the Combine, Jones adds, noting questions also exist about whether the team view this draft class as having a QB option head and shoulders above Fields. While the belief is Fields will have a shot at a third season in Chicago, questions will persist until the Bears trade the pick. Doing so would make them the first team to move out of the No. 1 spot since the Titans did so in 2016.

Here is the latest from the NFC North:

  • Aaron Jones‘ Packers restructure will ensure he plays a seventh season in Green Bay — rare territory for modern Packers backs — and it will create considerable cap space for the team. Jones’ cap figure will drop from $20MM to $8.2MM, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com tweets. Jones’ base salary will drop from $8.1MM to $1.1MM. Jones took a $5MM salary cut in exchange for a $8.5MM signing bonus, keeping him tied to the four-year, $48MM extension he inked before free agency in 2021. In 2024, the final year of Jones’ deal, Demovsky adds (via Twitter) his cap number will rise from $16MM to $17.7MM. The void years from Jones’ 2022 restructure remain on the contract.
  • Shifting to another 2017 running back draftee still on his second contract, Dalvin Cook will miss time this offseason because of shoulder surgery. The Pro Bowl Vikings back, whom Adam Schefter of ESPN.com notes underwent surgery this month, played shoulder pain for the past three-plus seasons, initially injuring it in 2019. Cook, 27, suffered a broken shoulder in 2019 and missed time in 2019 and 2021 as a result; he played all 18 Vikings games last season but battled a shoulder dislocation he sustained in Week 3. This surgery will likely knock Cook out for much of the offseason, with the Vikings announcing he is expected to make a full recovery “by the start of the regular season.” Two years remain on Cook’s five-year, $63MM contract.
  • Dalvin Tomlinson‘s two-year Vikings pact was set to void last week, but the team bought more time on this front. The Vikes pushed Tomlinson’s void date to March 15 — Day 1 of the 2023 league year — according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). This keeps $7.5MM from hitting Minnesota’s cap, though that amount will move onto the payroll if no extension is reached by March 15. If an extension occurs before that date, the Vikings will only be charged with $2.5MM in dead money, Yates tweets.
  • If Tomlinson does return, he will be a part of another 3-4 scheme. Minnesota had gone decades in a 4-3 alignment, but new DC Brian Flores confirmed (via the St. Paul Pioneer Press’ Chris Tomasson) the 3-4 look installed under previous leader Ed Donatell will remain in place. Although teams’ increased sub-package usage diminishes the importance of base sets, this is certainly notable given how long the Vikes were a 4-3 team prior to 2022, when their switch yielded disastrous results.
  • Shaun Dion Hamilton will move up from defensive assistant to the Lions‘ assistant linebackers coach, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press notes. Hamilton is just 27, being one of the Lions’ cuts last summer, but moved quickly into coaching. Rather than hit the workout circuit, the former Washington sixth-round draftee opted to enter coaching early.
  • The Packers‘ run of extensions last offseason included executive VP Russ Ball, Demovsky tweets. Green Bay quietly extended Matt LaFleur and GM Brian Gutekunst, and Ball — a veteran cap guru elevated during the same offseason Gutekunst took over as GM — remains a key part of the franchise’s equation. Ball, 63, has been a critical part of the Pack’s front office since 2008.

2023 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker

February 14th, 2023 at 1:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

Last year, 10 NFL teams hired new head coaches. Following the Panthers, Broncos and Texans’ hires, this year’s vacancy count sits at two. Last year’s Saints and Buccaneers moves, however, showed these job openings can emerge at unexpected points.

Listed below are the head coaching candidates that have been linked to each of the teams with vacancies, along with their current status. If other teams decide to make head coaching changes, they’ll be added to this list. Here is the current breakdown:

Updated 2-14-23 (1:30pm CT)

Arizona Cardinals

Carolina Panthers

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Brian Flores Informed Cardinals He Was Withdrawing From HC Search

February 7th, 2023 at 3:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

Brian Flores is set for a Twin Cities relocation, taking over as the next Vikings defensive coordinator. The former Dolphins head coach’s quick decision here was somewhat surprising, considering he had a second interview for the Cardinals’ HC job lined up.

It is not believed Flores had been eliminated from the Cardinals’ search just yet. He instead informed the Cards he was not going to meet with them a second time and would accept the Vikings’ DC offer, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets. Flores’ second Arizona interview had been scheduled for Wednesday, but the Cards are now onto other options. Arizona and Indianapolis remain on the hunt for head coaches, though the Colts’ search is more open-ended than the Cardinals’.

[RELATED: Kyler Murray Return May Be Delayed Until Midseason?]

Bigger-picture plans factored into Flores’ withdrawal. Next year’s lot of potential job openings represented part of the reason, per KPRC’s Aaron Wilson (via Twitter), Flores backed out of the Cards’ search. Higher-profile jobs might be available in 2024. The Chargers and Cowboys come to mind. While this was believed to be a factor for Sean Payton, next year’s coaching carousel also appears to be impacting other candidates’ decisions.

The team’s search may come down to two of its late additions. Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka is meeting with the Cardinals today, while Bengals DC Lou Anarumo‘s meeting is scheduled for Friday. Both are already on their second interviews, despite each having been added to the pool Jan. 30. Vance Joseph, Bengals OC Brian Callahan and Lions DC Aaron Glenn were not among the finalists for the job, though Flores taking a coordinator gig despite being included as a finalist came after other options passed.

Dan Quinn also backed out of multiple searches to stay with the Cowboys, and after interviewing with the Cardinals, Frank Reich accepted the Panthers’ HC offer. Then again, it is unknown how serious the Cardinals were on Reich, who was not a candidate in Denver or Houston. Payton was the biggest fish this offseason, but not much smoke emerged connecting the former Super Bowl-winning HC to Arizona’s vacancy. The Cards added Anarumo and Kafka to their mix days after Payton’s interview and just before he accepted the Broncos’ HC offer.

Despite his discrimination lawsuit against the NFL and a few teams, Flores interviewed for four HC jobs last year following his surprise Dolphins ouster. The longtime Patriots assistant spent this season as the Steelers’ linebackers coach. He was on the Cards’ radar both before and after the team hired ex-Pats executive Monti Ossenfort as GM. A Flores-Ossenfort connection loomed for weeks; no other teams interviewed him for their HC jobs this year. He was among a host of Payton backup plans. Anarumo and Kafka were not even part of the search at that stage.

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